By Chris Ochayi, Abuja
The National Population Commission, NPC, has disclosed that the conduct of the population and housing census would no longer be feasible in 2021.
The National Chairman of the Commission, Hon. Nasir Isa Kwarra disclosed this in Abuja while addressing newsmen on the commencement of the fieldwork for the 1st Pre-Test for the population and housing census.
He said despite advice offered by the member of the House of Representatives against the conduct of the exercise on the ground of fragile situation in the country, “We are not going to conduct census this year.”
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Hon. Kwarra, however, said the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration was committed to the conduct of the exercise through adequate funding of the activities of the commission in preparation for the full exercise.
“By the time we are going to conduct the population and housing census, the situation in the country would have improved to pave the ways for a peaceful exercise,” he said.
The NPC boss added that, though no sign of commitment for the proclamation, but Mr. President will make proclamation at the appointed time. Unlike before, the President is more committed to the funding of the operations and activities of the commission.
He said the preparatory activities for the census exercise Pre-test is usually conducted before the actual census and during the middle of the Enumeration Area Demarcation (EAD) exercise.
“The conduct of Pre-test is aimed at testing the census methodology, the questionnaires, data collection methods, the manuals for field staff, instruction manuals, data editing and coding, data processing and tabulation in preparation for the actual census.
“In this pre-test exercise, some selected Enumeration Areas (EAs) in some of the LGAs in States of the Federation demarcated between 2016-2018 will be utilised and the census instruments will be deployed to these areas to test run their suitability and readiness for the actual census.”
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